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Time is
Money Part 3: Bubba Trubba
After an unneeded detour, we’re back to focusing on the main
plot of this arc. Sadly, that plot
seriously becomes weaker from here, mostly because of Bubba now being a main
character. This particular part shows
why he’s better as a one-off.
As a
scrappy kid character with a less-than-ideal voice who has the best bonds with
other kids, Bubba is already at a disadvantage of being a strong character. He doesn’t even bring much good to the rest
of the cast. The episode mostly features him causing trouble for everyone in
another time period. They do acknowledge
that this is to be expected because he’s a cavekid from the past. However, that should only encourage others
not to be too hard on him, not accept that he exists to cause trouble. Hardly anything is done to get Bubba to
understand the time he’s landed in. For
these reasons, it’s concerning that he’s the center of an episode.
Not only that, but Bubba is now considered a
driving force for the conflict. Flintheart
Glomgold sees importance in him and sends the Beagle Boys to capture Bubba to
go back in time and reclaim his diamond cave by destroying Scrooge’s marks. Bubba’s presence in the present also has an
effect on time itself. Gyro says Scrooge
messing with Prehistoric time changed history which could cause a huge hole in
time. Scrooge’s money suddenly flying
out of his hand proves this statement is accurate. Aside from a scrappy character mostly
appealing to just kids causing all this, what we have here is an interesting
direction for the time travel portion.
It becomes problematic, but that will be saved for a review of another
part of the arc.
Anyway, Scrooge has
every right to be frustrated with Bubba and wanting to send him back to his
right time. From there, the episode
becomes very routine. Scrooge dumps Bubba
in someone else’s care, Bubba causes trouble for them, but also foils the
Beagle Boys’ attempts to capture him.
It’s a three strikes setup with little variation, priding itself on
proving that Bubba is nothing but trouble in so many ways. It becomes frustrating that Huey, Dewey, and
Louie stay after school, Mrs. Beakley’s banned from her special club, and
Launchpad gets in trouble at the museum because of Bubba.
At least there are some standout moments in the
strikes. The boys’ moment with Bubba
brings an exciting musical number in the middle of class, even if the music
style dates it. The first part of Mrs.
Beakley’s moment with him brings the closest Bubba gets to learning to behave
before he messes everything in her club up.
Also, every moment where Bubba outwits the Beagle Boys is
hilarious.
As for Scrooge, while his
distain towards Bubba is understandable, there is a fun moment where he talks
to a little version of himself about how he does like Bubba after all. It’s a humorous personification of the
concept of consciences. Plus, while this
single episode doesn’t have much good reasons for Scrooge to warm up to Bubba,
there are at least some moments in the earlier parts to back up this
claim. Unfortunately, this change of
heart is devalued when Bubba idiotically leads the Beagle Boys break into
Scrooge’s money bin, paving the way for the next part.
It’s hard to find appeal in an episode where
everyone suffers because of one character.
While there are fun and good hearted moments, they’re far and few
between Bubba’s destructive moments. It
may be beneficial for the arc’s story, but it still falls flat and mostly fails
to make Bubba acceptable as a main character.
D+
The Ranking
- Once Upon a Dime
- Duck in the Iron Mask
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. McDuck
- Spies in Their Eyes
- Nothing to Fear
- The Uncrashable Hindentanic
- Dime Enough for Luck
- Duck to the Future
- Launchpad’s First Crash
- Jungle Duck
- Ducky Horror Picture Show
- Time is Money Part 1: Marking Time
- Time is Money Part 2: The Duck Who Would Be King
- All Ducks on Deck
- Till Nephews Do Us Part
- The Status Seekers
- Time is Money Part 3: Bubba Trubba
The next DuckTales review looks into the trouble Scrooge and Bubba get into with the Beagle Boys in the money bin.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews from Hey Arnold is "Love and Cheese" and "Weighing Harold."
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